Pho Lemongrass

Great Vietnamese should be the way it is in Vietnam: simple, brimming with sharp flavors, and built with ingredients that shout their freshness. Enter Pho Lemongrass, where a diverse (and bilingual) menu overflows with anise- and ginger-laced dishes. Pho, the beloved noodle soup of Hanoi, comes steaming in huge bowls and filled with the protein of your choice (the shredded chicken breast is the savory standout; less so, the tripe), and packed with crunchy bean sprouts, lime juice, and chiles. One of the best entrees is vegetarian: the lemongrass tofu, which is heartily textured, spicy, and scattered with peanuts and vegetables so fresh they might as well have just been plucked from the Mekong Delta.